There comes a time for any of us working from home when sometimes the washing is more appealing than getting on with what you’re meant to be doing. After talking to different people, I have found that in January especially, we fall into two camps; the “this is going to be my year” fully focused and motivated people and those “I can’t seem to get into it” people who will spend time looking for things to do other than getting on with earning money. Thankfully for me this year I find myself in the first category, although I know there will be certain times when I’m just not feeling that motivated to get it done. When I do find myself lacking on the motivation front I use one (sometimes more) of the following techniques for getting back in the game:
1. Take a trip down memory lane
Look back at the journey so far that’s got you to this point and how far you’ve come since you started your business. My journey as a Virtual Assistant started in 2013 and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. Having happy thoughts releases dopamine which is what will drive you forward.
2. Block out time in your day
For specific tasks with deadlines and stick to it. On certain mornings I only get 2.5 hours clear work time whilst my daughter is at preschool, I am far more motivated during those days than the ones where she stays all day and I always accomplish more within a focused amount of time.
3. Blitz some 5-minute jobs
I have a list of tasks that will take me about 5 minutes to complete (you never know when you can squeeze them in), get some ticked of your list, once you’ve accomplished a couple of them the sense of achievement from crossing them off will spur you on.
4. Use your flexibility to your advantage
Most of us that work from home are mobile and can work from anywhere with a secure internet connection. A change of scenery can do wonders for your creativity. Side note, please don’t do anything involving personal data on a public Wi-Fi connection!
5. Review your to do list
What do you REALLY need to do and what would be more efficient passed to somebody else? Outsourcing some of the mundane, non-profitable parts of your business or even those that don’t fall within your skill set, would clear some mental and physical space to enable you to work on those tasks that earn you money or give you back some free time to spend with those who mean the most to you. Even a Virtual Assistant outsources some things when they know it makes sense!
So that’s my top five ways to keep yourself motivated whilst working from home, let me know if you use any of these and what else you would add.